Murder Victim Impersonated Deceased Chilliwack Bassist

When a man identified as former Chilliwack bassist Glenn Miller was found murdered in a French farmhouse last week, it made headlines for a number of reasons -- including the fact that Glenn Miller passed away in 2011.

The Toronto Star reports on the strange case, which started when a neighbor discovered the dead body of the man he'd known as Miller for the last four years. The fake Miller's shooting death shone a media spotlight on the small village of Plounevez-Lochrist, described as "a place so safe residents don't lock their doors," and caused no small amount of confusion for Miller's former bandmates, who knew he'd been felled by muscular dystrophy several years ago.

Far less is known about the fake Miller, although Lawrence insists his former musical partner was far less "showy" than the imposter who, for unknown reasons, convinced dozens of French citizens that he used to play bass in a Canadian rock band. One acquaintance, who told the paper that he'd known the man 20 years ago in Toronto as George Miller, said he disappeared suddenly and was rumored to have "inherited something in France."

"He’s a musician, so he portrays a sort of persona or image," mused Toronto resident David Wilson. "Maybe it was just convenient for him to remain mysterious and just say, 'Oh yeah, I'm that guy (from Chilliwack).' I really think it's as simple as that."

An investigation into the murder remains ongoing. "We were made aware of the death of a British national in France on the 14th of September," the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office told the Star. "We are providing consular assistance at this sad time."